The Hostage (emerging Voices) [Paperback]

Set in the pre-revolution Yemen of the Imams, this novel depicts the experiences of a young boy who, having been taken hostage, in line with the Imam’s general practice, as a pledge for his father’s political obedience, is sent to serve as a young male attendant in the palace of the city governor. The growth of the boy’s awareness, political, social and personal, is movingly portrayed against a background of bygone times whose decadence and injustice are presented with vivid satiric force.Zayd Mutee’ Dammaj is Yemen’s foremost fiction writer. He has published several collections of short stories. This novel is the first English translation of his work.